The tax issues seems to never fade away and the latest to face the problem is Bayern Munich’s James Rodriguez.
James is currently playing for Bayern Munich on loan.
James is in negotiations with Spain’s tax authority regarding monies due for past image rights income. A source close to the player has told ESPN.
However, the source rejects a report in El Mundo claiming the Colombia international will have to pay €11.65 million due to a fraud from his time at Real Madrid.
James is currently halfway through a two-season loan at Bayern from Madrid. He has recently rejected Spanish media reports that he wanted to return immediately to the Bernabeu for the 2018-19 season.
According to an El Mundo report citing sources at Spain’s Agencia Tributaria, James allegedly committed a tax fraud of €6.35m for the year 2014.
The Colombian star joined Madrid from Monaco for €80m in July 2014. But the report claims his Spanish tax return for that year claimed he was a non-resident, a status which the authorities do not accept.
The negotiations with the tax authorities were indeed taking place. But it was pointed out that here was no indication of any crime having been committed. And the amounts mentioned by El Mundo were incorrect.
James is being represented in the negotiations with the tax authorities by Equipo Economico. The Madrid-based firm said they could not comment about clients for reasons of strict confidentiality when contacted by ESPN FC.
Meanwhile on the other side, Cristiano Ronaldo admitted wrongdoing over his image rights income. He has agreed to pay a total of €18.8m in back taxes and fines, although the Portugal captain’s situation has yet to be 100 percent finalised.
Both Ronaldo and James have the same agent. Other clients of Mendes’ Gestifute agency have also been pursued by the Spanish tax authorities through recent years.